Current mailboxes provide either the benefit of substantial visual access to the interior chamber of the mailbox, or the benefit of extensive privacy for the contents of the chamber, but not both. Mailbox users may be exposed to dangerous contents within the mailbox chamber, such as explosive devices triggered to detonate when the mailbox door is opened. Therefore, it is advantageous for a mailbox to allow a visual inspection of the contents of a mailbox chamber without opening the mailbox door. Additionally, mailboxes are often visually and physically accessible to the general public, rendering the contents of the mailbox susceptible to theft and/or public scrutiny. As a result, it is also advantageous to provide privacy for the contents of the mailbox chamber by limiting visual access to mailbox chamber. A conflict exists between the advantages of providing visual inspection of the internal chamber for mailbox users such as mailbox owners and postal carriers, and the disadvantages of providing visual access to non-users such as members of the general public.
Thus, there is a need for a mailbox that includes a primary section that substantially prevents light from entering into the cavity, yet includes another portion that substantially allows viewing of the cavity in the closed position. The present invention provides such an invention.